"Triple Play, Part 1", known as "Split in the Academy! Starving Duel" in the Japanese version, is the one hundred and twenty-fourth episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime. It first aired in Japan on February 21, 2007 and in the US on October 20, 2007.

Contents

Summary

The gym is the final place within Duel Academy still safe from the Duel Ghouls. As such, the remaining students begin piling furniture by all the entrances, and nailing together wooden barricades to block the doors. Axel Brodie recruits a small group of Obelisk Blue students that he calls the "Blue Berets" which he intends to use as a military-style unit to help defend the students.

Marcel Bonaparte, still with the Devil Arm in place of his own and possessed by the demon, comments that his Duel Ghouls have been quite effective as he sits in the library and mulls over his plan. (In the Japanese version, he calls the organization the "Martin Empire", as his name in that version is Martin Kanou.) The students start arguing and fighting over the little food they have remaining, as the food storage facility was seized by the Duel Ghouls. One student named Slate (Harada in the Japanese version), after being scolded for fighting with others by Jaden and Jesse Anderson, leads two other unnamed students (Teraoka and Yamanaka in the Japanese version) out of the gym in an attempt to find food elsewhere in the building. They end up in the library after being chased by the Duel Ghouls.

Marcel offers them food, and also offers them positions of power in his organization. He lures them into a "Polymerization" card, which fuses them with three monster spirits, and they become the Three Masked Knights. Marcel makes an announcement to the remaining students - he is willing to give them access to the food storage facility in exchange for being allowed to take over the power supply station outside, which has broken down due to the sand. He specifically asks Jaden Yuki, but Jim Crocodile Cook advises him not to take the deal, as they may still be able to fix the station. Jaden refuses the deal, which enrages the remaining students. However, Jaden counters by asking if Marcel would be willing to bet access to both on a Duel. Marcel agrees and states that their opponents are already outside. After deciding it's too risky for Jaden to Duel as he is still damaged from his Duel with Ms. Fontaine, Jesse offers to take all three on himself, but instead Jim and Axel Brodie decide they will Duel also.

The Duels begin, and Jesse gains an early lead on his opponent, after the Knight passes his first turn. Axel and Jim both end up taking over 1000 damage before their own first turns come.

Axel Brodie vs. Laughter Mask

Turn 1: Laughter Mask
Laughter Mask draws a card and subsequently sets it. He then Normal Summons "Fool Clown" (0/0) in Attack Position. Since "Fool Clown" was summoned, its effect activates, forcing Laughter Mask to send his entire hand to the Graveyard (three "Rough Exploders" and "Rough Fight"). Laughter Mask then activates the effect of his three "Rough Exploders" from his Graveyard, removing all three copies from play in order to inflict 500 damage to Axel for each copy that was removed from play (Axel 4000 → 2500).